A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
