A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, 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 car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
