An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
