A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
