An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
