An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
