A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
