An defense official has stated that the MoD is currently investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that safety is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
