A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
