An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if 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 conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
