An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection 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 Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
