An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
