An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret 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 ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly 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 presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
