A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
