A defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
