A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in every modern cars.
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 car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The 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 the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption 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 broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
