An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
