An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
