A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
