Government Official States Ministry of Defence Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence 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 disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
