An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
