Minister Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Chinese Cars, as Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The 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 enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.