Government Official Says MoD Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
