A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
