Government Official States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Personnel Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions habits.
