A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
