An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
