An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
