Minister Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential 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 every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
