An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
