A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to switch off public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider security environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
