A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However 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 devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
