A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
