A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
