An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This 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 China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
