An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
