A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
