A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
