An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
