Government Official States MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
