An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
