A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
