A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
