An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
