An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
