A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
