An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
