A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
