An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
