Minister Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Told to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport usage to communication habits.