A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
