An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
