An defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
