A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
This wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in all areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to discussions habits.
