An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether 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 vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
