A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
