A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
