A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
