An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
