A defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
