An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries 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 chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
