A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
