A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport use to communication practices.
