An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have 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 prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
