A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation 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 China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
