An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
