An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
