Government Official States MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
