A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
