An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
