An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
