An defense minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential 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 MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
