An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet 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 non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
