An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
