A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
