An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent 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 to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
