A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
