A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
