A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
