A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
