A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars 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 staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
