An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
