An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted 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 disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
