A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
