A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.