A defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
