Minister Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
