An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
