Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
