An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
