Government Official States MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport use to communication practices.
