A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
