An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
