Minister Confirms MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to communication habits.
