An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent 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 China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology 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 all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
