A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
