An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff 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 growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
