A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In 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 information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
