Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
