A defence minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in every contemporary cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust measures and caution in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
