An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
