An defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance 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.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
