Minister Confirms MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Staff Told to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in 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, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
