A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if 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 technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
