An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
