A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
