A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.