A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
