Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
