An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
