Government Official Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
