A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology 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 automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
