An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
