An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
