Government Official States Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise 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 Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
