An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport use to communication habits.
