A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
