Minister Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to discussions habits.
