An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
