An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
