An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
