An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is 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 every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
