An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
