An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
