A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
