An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
