Government Official Says MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
