An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether 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 car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including transport usage to discussions practices.
