An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
