Minister Says MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent 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 to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.