An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
