An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
