An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
