An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
