Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Investigating Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
