A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.