Minister States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is โlooking intoโ cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether youโre traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. Thatโs a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: โThatโs precisely what we are looking into at the moment.โ
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a โhighly dangerousโ action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
