An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
