A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. 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 cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.