A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
