An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
