An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication practices.
