Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
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 Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to discussions habits.
