Government Official States MoD Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
