A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions habits.
