An defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any car, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to discussions practices.
