An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
