A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
