An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, a defence minister commented on claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
