A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
