An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
