An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
