An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
