An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
