Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.