A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
