A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
