An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
