A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
