A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
