An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
