An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
