A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
