An defense minister has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government activities, from transport usage to discussions practices.
