A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
