An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause 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 defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to communication habits.
