Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
