An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
