An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
