An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
