A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
