An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him 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 present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
