A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.