A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
