A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
