An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
