Minister Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
