A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
