An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom 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 disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
