A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations 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 wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
