An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
