Minister Says MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
