Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.