A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
