A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
