An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary 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 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 vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
