Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
