Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, as Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
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’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
