An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
