A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
