A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether 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 vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
