A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
