A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
