An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China 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 discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
