Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.