A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
