Minister States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
