A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
