A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
