Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
