An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have 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 conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
