A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
