Government Official Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
