An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
