An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
