Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to communication practices.
