A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
