A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving 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 secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
