An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
