An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
