A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication habits.
