An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
