An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
