Government Official States Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
