An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After 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 are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
