An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
