An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if 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, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
