An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
