A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
