Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.