An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles 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 MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
