Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.