An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
