An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
