A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
