An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
