A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
