An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
