An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
