A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
