An defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
