An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
