A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
