A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned 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’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
