An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car 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 secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
