A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in all areas of government activities, including transport use to discussions habits.
