A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
