An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports 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 public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
