An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
