A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However 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 Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
