A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
