An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
