A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
