Government Official Says MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
