An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
