An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
