A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
