An defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After 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 precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including transport use to discussions habits.
