An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
