An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
