A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
