A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
