An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
