An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted 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 public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
