An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use 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 spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
