A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
