A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
