An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
