A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent 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 every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.