A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
