An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
