A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
