A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The 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 enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to communication habits.
