A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
