An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
