Minister States MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
