An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
