An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
