Minister Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
