An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication habits.
