A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
