An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
