An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
