A defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government activities, including vehicle use to discussions practices.
