An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
