Minister States MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
