An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
