Minister Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
