Government Official Says MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
