A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
