A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.