A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
