A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
