A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
