A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
