Government Official Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
