A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
