A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
