A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
