A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
