An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
