Minister States MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens 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 vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, due to 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 sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
