A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
