An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
