A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving 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, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
