An defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
