A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
