A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
