Government Official Says MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
