Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars 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, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
