Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
