An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if 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 car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to communication practices.
