An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
