A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
