A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
