A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every areas of official activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
