A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens 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 non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
