Government Official Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
