An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
