A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
