An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
