A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However 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, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
