A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
