A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
