A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
