Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.