Government Official States MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
