A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
