An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport use to discussions practices.
