An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
