An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
