An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if 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, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
