Government Official States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for 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 people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
