Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
