Government Official Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars 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, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
