An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
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 technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
