A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
