A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Context
The revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
