Minister Says Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
