Government Official Says Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
