Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
