A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
