Minister Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
