An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet 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 non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
