An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
