Minister Confirms MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
