A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
