Government Official States MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication practices.