Government Official Says MoD Looking at Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
