Government Official States MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD 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, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.