Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.