An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
