A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
