A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
