A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned 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 is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
