An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
