A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent 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 not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly 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 presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
