An defense official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
