Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Examining Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Cars.
An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
