A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet 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 non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
