An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and staff have been told to avoid discussing secret information in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of tens 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 people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
