A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones 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 not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
