A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims 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 buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
