An defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
