Government Official Says MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
