A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
