Minister Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
