A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
