A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
