An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
