A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
