A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
