A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
