An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including vehicle use to discussions habits.
