A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
