An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
