A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
