A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
