An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
