A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
