A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
