A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
