Government Official States MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones 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 people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
