A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on 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 concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
