A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a concern in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to discussions practices.
