An defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
