A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.
