An defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
