A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones 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 staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
