A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in 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 discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
