An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
