A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
