An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When 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’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
