An defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
