An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official activities, from transport use to discussions practices.
