A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
