An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
