Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
