Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
