A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
