An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
