An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
