An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
