An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
