Government Official States MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.