A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
