An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s 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 shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
