An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
