A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
