An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview 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 vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
