An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
