A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
