Minister Says MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
