A defence minister has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
