An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
