A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
