A defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from transport use to discussions practices.
