A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
