A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
