An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
