A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
