A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
