Minister Confirms Ministry of Defence Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Refrain from Confidential Discussions in Vehicles.
A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
