A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
