An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
