An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
