An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
