A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
