An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
