Government Official States MoD Examining Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, with Personnel Advised to Avoid Confidential Discussions in Cars.
An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
