A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
