An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
