A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles 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, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
