An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
