An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
