Minister States Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When 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 present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
