Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
