An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to communication habits.
