A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
