Government Official States MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.