An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
