An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
