A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles 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 Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
