A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
