An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
