A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
