An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
