A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
