An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
