A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
