Minister Says Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
