A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s 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 every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
