A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted 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 bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
