A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
