An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
