An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone 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 responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
