A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
