An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
