A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
