A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
