An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
