A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
