Minister States Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
