A defense official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for 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 to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government operations, from transport usage to communication practices.
