An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
