Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
