An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
