Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
