A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
