A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
