A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
