A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
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 technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
