An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
