An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
