A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
