A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if 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 car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
