A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
