A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
