An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet 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 traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
