An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
