A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
