A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if 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 classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
