Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
