A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained 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 cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
