An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
