A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions habits.
