An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
