An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
