An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
