A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
