An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
