Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.