A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication practices.
