A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.