An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
