A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested 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 moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
