A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, including transport use to communication habits.
