A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars 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, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
