An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
