A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
