Minister Says MoD Investigating Potential Threat from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
