A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
