A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
