A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
