A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
