An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication habits.
