A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
