An defense minister has stated that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
