A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
