An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
