Minister Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication practices.
