An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
