An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in 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 kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
