Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
