Government Official Confirms MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
