A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
