An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
