Minister Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
