A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
