An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
