An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
