Government Official Confirms MoD Investigating Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
A defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested 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 moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
